Tax free shopping is readily available at stores across Tokyo. If you want to save yourself the 8% consumption tax on your purchases, make sure you carry your passport with you on your shopping jaunts as you need to present it to receive the discount. Be aware that the transaction method varies between stores. Some of the larger chain stores like Uniqlo offer dedicated Tax Free checkouts that allow you to pay the tax free price straight up, whereas some department stores require you to pay the price plus consumption tax then present your receipts at a Tax Free counter to have the consumption tax amount refunded to you. Note that at some stores there is a minimum spend required to treat the purchase as tax free. The sales assistants will glue or staple the paperwork associated with your transaction into your passport that the staff at border control will remove when you depart Japan. The best part about tax free shopping in Japan is that you don’t need to produce the goods to be sighted at the airport. You can simply pack them in your luggage, a much easier process than in some other countries.
Make your money go further-shop tax free!
